RAF Uxbridge
Royal Air Force Uxbridge Latin for 'We form youth') | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51°32′32″N 0°28′11″W / 51.54222°N 0.46972°W |
Type | Non-flying administrative, headquarters and support station |
Area | 46 hectares (110 acres)[1] |
Site information | |
Owner | Ministry of Defence |
Operator | Royal Flying Corps (1917–1918) Royal Air Force (1918–2010) |
Open to the public | Yes (Battle of Britain Bunker) |
Condition | Closed |
Site history | |
Built | 1917 |
In use | 1917–2010 |
Fate |
|
Battles/wars | Normandy Campaign |
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Uxbridge, within the London Borough of Hillingdon, occupying a 44.6-hectare (110-acre) site that originally belonged to the Hillingdon House estate. The British Government purchased the estate in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF. Until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the station was open to the public.
The station is best known as the headquarters of
RAF Uxbridge closed on 31 March 2010 as part of a reduction in the number of
The River Pinn runs through the site from north to south, passing Hillingdon House and the Battle of Britain Bunker. The land around the river is mainly wooded and designated as greenbelt, and Hillingdon Golf Course borders the south of the station.[3] A footpath through the site that had closed in 1988 was reopened in 2011.
History
Early years
The area that became RAF Uxbridge was long a part of the estate of Hillingdon House, built as a hunting lodge in 1717 by the Duke of Schomberg, who staged regular hunts in the grounds. He was a German-born general serving under the future King William III, and was knighted for his part in the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.[4]
The Marchioness of Rockingham, widow of Prime Minister Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, bought the house in 1786 for £9,000 (equivalent to £1,471,000 in 2023)[5] following her husband's death and lived there until her own death in 1804. She left the estate to her stepsister Elizabeth, widow of William Weddell MP, who sold it to Josias Du Pré Porcher in 1805.[6]
In 1810 the estate was sold to Richard Henry Cox, grandson of Richard Cox, founder of the travel company Cox & Kings.[4] Cox & Co, as the company was then known, was formed after Richard Cox was appointed agent to the Foot Guards (later the Grenadier Guards), and provided banking services for many regiments of the British Army by the end of the 18th century.[7] The mansion was completely rebuilt after it burnt down in 1844 and later received a Grade II listing as a historic site.[8]
First World War
In 1914 the mansion was put on the market by the estate of Frederick Cox, Richard Henry Cox's grandson. It was described as "a brick and stone building, partly stuccoed, with extensive outbuildings and ornamental gardens".[5] The house and gardens, together with the surrounding parkland and an artificial lake created by damming a section of the River Pinn, amounted to over 81 ha (200 acres).[4]
The British Government purchased the estate in 1915, with the intention of establishing a
On 1 April 1918, the Uxbridge site came under control of the Royal Air Force, which had been formed that day by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the
Inter-war years
The Recruits Training Depot and a detachment of the RAF Depot from RAF Halton arrived in August 1919, merging to form No. 1 Depot, RAF Uxbridge. The station itself was designated RAF Central Depot, Uxbridge. The site was then split to form two new RAF stations, the area to the east of the River Pinn heading uphill to Hillingdon House becoming RAF Hillingdon and the remainder RAF Uxbridge. That year, the building that became the station cinema was opened, designed by Lieutenant J. G. N. Clift of the Royal Engineers,[12] and served as a lecture hall for new recruits.[13]
The RAF School of Music moved to RAF Uxbridge from Hampstead in September 1919. Headquarters Southern Area, Southern Area Medical Headquarters, Southern Area Barrack Stores, and the Southern Area and South Eastern Area Headquarters of the Air Construction Service moved into Hillingdon House in October 1919.[14] T. E. Lawrence, better known as "Lawrence of Arabia", underwent initial training at the Uxbridge Depot in 1922 after enlisting in the RAF under the assumed name John Hume-Ross. He recounted his experiences in The Mint.[15]
Uxbridge Football Club was provided with the use of the station stadium from 1923 and played evening matches there.[16] Ten barrack blocks designed by A. Gilpin were built around the parade ground in 1925,[17] as was the RAF officers' hospital and the original Operations Room, controlled by the Fighting Area of Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB). The Air Ministry chose RAF Uxbridge as the new base for ADGB on 14 January 1926 owing to its proximity to Whitehall. The site had the added advantage of lying on the fringes of London and therefore difficult for an enemy to locate and bomb.[18]
Having also housed a gymnasium, the lecture hall building became the station cinema in 1927, initially for the use of station personnel only but soon opened to the general public.
Owing to its wooden construction the original Operations Room could only be used during the summer months; maintenance of the signalling and communications equipment became difficult under damp winter conditions. A memo dated 16 January 1933, sent to the senior Air Staff Officer,
Uxbridge Royal Air Force buildings would provide an easy bombing target from all points of view, I feel that our Operations Room at least must go underground ... and the sooner it is put there the better, as not only will the re-installation of communications and apparatus generally take time, but if that machinery is to function smoothly in a sudden emergency, installation must have been completed and the whole layout repeatedly worked and tried out before the danger of such emergency arises.[19]
Douglas Bader arrived at the military hospital in 1932 to recover from the amputation of his legs following an air crash. During his stay Bader met the Desoutter brothers, who were beginning to make lightweight artificial legs from aluminium.[20] Once fitted with artificial legs, Bader fought hard to regain his former abilities and in time his efforts paid off. He was able to drive a specially modified car, play golf and even dance. During his convalescence, Bader met his future wife Thelma Edwards, a waitress at The Pantiles tearooms in Bagshot 25 miles away.[21]
Formed on 1 May 1936, No. 11 Group RAF was headquartered at RAF Uxbridge under the command of
Planning for the new 11 Group Operations Room, within what became known as the Battle of Britain Bunker, began in August 1937. Initially it was to be buried 66 feet (20 m) below ground, but problems with the local
Second World War
During the war, RAF Uxbridge was tasked with despatching personnel to and from training and operational units in Northern France. It also housed the RAF Uxbridge Language School, where Polish Air Force pilots were taught key RAF codewords.[26] Pilots practised formation flying on the station football pitch, using tricycles fitted with radios, compasses and speed indicators.[27] British Expeditionary Force troops returning from Dunkirk were processed at Uxbridge. In mid-1940, staff at the station processed an average of 2,500 recruits and experienced troops per week.[28]
During the Battle of Britain, between July and October 1940, RAF Fighter Command at RAF Bentley Priory received air threat warnings that it filtered to remove duplication, doubt and confusion. These were then forwarded to the Operations Room at RAF Uxbridge, which allocated appropriate defence resources and passed orders on to No. 11 Group sector airfields.[29] No. 11 Group personnel doubled to 20,000 between April and November 1940. The RAF officers' hospital was converted to the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) hospital early in 1940.[30]
While overseeing the operations at RAF Uxbridge,
A delayed-action landmine fell on the station on 26 September 1940, between the police school and WAAF Quarters where it remained until it was defused the following day. Two days later on 28 September a bomb fell into a tree 50 yards (46 m) from the Operations Room and was later taken to Harefield where it was defused.[35] A Junkers Ju 88 attacked the station on 6 October 1940, dropping a bomb beside the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) grocery shop. The device damaged water and gas mains but caused no casualties.[30] Few bombs fell on the station; Luftwaffe pilots may have mistaken the glass greenhouses at the Lowe & Shawyer plant nursery west of the station for a large body of water not on their maps.[35]
The king and queen returned on 1 November 1941, by which time a "Royal Box" had been installed in the Operations Room from which they could observe the plotting activities.
In 1941, a division of the
Post-war years
RAF Uxbridge served as an athlete's village for the male competitors in the
The ceremonial entrance to the north-west of the station, St Andrew's Gate, was officially opened on 16 December 1957 to mark the link between Uxbridge and the Royal Air Force.
The station was granted the
The 11 Group Operations Room was extensively surveyed in order for a replica to be built at
Over nine months in 1975, the 11 Group Operations Room was restored by No. 9 Signals Unit.[50] The original map was repaired and returned to the table by the RAF Cartography unit, and the board detailing the readiness and activities of each sector squadron was rebuilt to resemble its status on 15 September 1940. In 1985 a museum was created within the bunker by Warrant Officer Robert "Chris" Wren and the Operations Room opened for group visits.[51]
In January 1981, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a bomb in the Suvla barrack block at RAF Uxbridge. The device was discovered and the thirty-five RAF musicians and fifteen airmen living there were evacuated before it exploded. Following the incident, an enquiry began and security at all RAF stations was reviewed.[51] The following year, many RAF personnel from the station were deployed during the Falklands War.[52] The station went on to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 1987 by staging several events that raised £30,000 (£106,600 in 2023) for the RAF Benevolent Fund.[53]
RAF Uxbridge also became involved in
The station church, St Luke's, became structurally unsound on 21 November 1990 after the foundations failed. The building dated back to 1933 and had been constructed of wood; the walls were pushed out and the floor rose by 4 inches (100 mm). In March 1993, the Leigh-Mallory bridge was opened across the River Pinn, and the church moved into a new permanent home, Building 231, in March 1995. Jim Bolger, then Prime Minister of New Zealand, visited the station in May, and in October the station's new sports centre opened.[54]
RAF Uxbridge personnel were once more prepared for action in the Gulf in 2003 in readiness for
Personnel paraded through Uxbridge town centre on 28 November 2007, exercising the freedom of the borough granted to the station in 1960.[56] RAF Uxbridge became a satellite station of RAF Northolt on 1 April 2008, in preparation for eventual closure.[57] In the final years of RAF ownership, the Service Prosecuting Authority and Civil Aviation Authority's UK Airprox Board (investigating air proximity incidents) was based in Hillingdon House.[58] The final of the national Carnegie Champions schools rugby tournament was held at the station in August 2008.[59] The link between RAF Uxbridge and the Royal Observer Corps was renewed in 2008 with the closure of RAF Bentley Priory and the relocation to Uxbridge of ROC memorabilia from the Priory Officers' Mess for safekeeping and display (the Royal Observer Corps having been stood down from operational duties in December 1995).[60]
The Queen's Colour Squadron returned from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2009, marked by a homecoming parade through Uxbridge town centre held on 5 August 2009. More than 20,000 people watched the parade, which started from Uxbridge Magistrates Court, passing along the town's High Street to the RAF station.[61]
RAF units
Sources: RAF Uxbridge 90th Anniversary 1917–2007,[62] RAF Uxbridge – A Fond Farewell,[63] and Ministry of Defence.[64]
Unit | Dates |
---|---|
RAF Depot | October 1918– |
HQ, No. 2 Group RAF | 7 July 1919 – 31 March 1920 |
No. 1 Squadron RAF | 19 September 1919 – 21 January 1920 |
No. 24 Squadron RAF | 19 September 1919 – 1 February 1920 |
No. 4 Squadron RAF | 20 September 1919 – 30 April 1920 |
HQ, Southern Area | 20 September 1919 – 1 April 1920 |
No. 39 Squadron RAF | 20 December 1919 – 12 April 1920 |
No. 3 Squadron RAF | 27 October 1919 – 21 January 1920 |
No. 207 Squadron RAF | 16–20 January 1920 |
HQ, Inland Area | 1 April 1920 – 1 June 1926 |
HQ, Air Defence of Great Britain | 1 June 1926 – 13 July 1936 |
HQ, Fighting Area | 7 July 1926 – 1 May 1936 |
HQ, Bomber Command | 14 July 1936 – 13 March 1940 |
HQ, No. 11 Group RAF | 1 May 1936 – 1948 |
No. 1 Personnel Transit Centre | 23 August – 6 September 1939 |
No. 8 Aviation Candidates Selection Board | 3 September 1939 – 4 May 1941 |
No. 1 Aviation Candidates Selection Board | 4 September 1939 – 4 May 1941 |
No. 2 Aviation Candidates Selection Board | 4 September 1939 – 2 February 1941 |
HQ, No. 256 Wing | 23–28 April 1940 |
HQ, 2nd Tactical Air Force | 1 February – 20 August 1944 |
HQ, No. 28 Group RAF | 24 February 1949 – 6 March 1950 |
No. 6 Trials Unit | 15 July 1954 – 5 January 1955 |
HQ, Military Air Traffic Operations (MATO) | 1965 – March 2000[65] |
No. 28 Trials Unit | 21 April 1975 – 1976 |
Queen's Colour Squadron
|
November 1960 – January 2010 |
Closure and redevelopment
Prior to the closure of RAF Uxbridge, Queen Elizabeth II sent a message to the station in February 2010, via her equerry, Wing Commander A. D. Calame, who had served as Officer Commanding the Queen's Colour Squadron between 10 August 2005 and 16 July 2007:
Her Majesty was interested to hear that, in this anniversary year, the historic Number 11 Group Operations Rooms Bunker has been listed and will be preserved as a Royal Air Force asset. Hopefully, the facility will continue as a permanent reminder of those who fought and won the Battle of Britain.
Her Majesty hopes that the relocation to Royal Air Force Northolt will continue to progress well, and wishes all personnel at Uxbridge best wishes for the future.[66]
The station closed on 31 March 2010 as part of the Ministry of Defence's Project MoDEL, a programme to reduce the number of defence sites in Greater London in favour of a core site at RAF Northolt. The closure ceremony was overseen by the Mayor of Hillingdon and included parades and the final lowering of the Royal Air Force Ensign over the parade ground.[34] A Supermarine Spitfire conducted a flypast of the station.[45] The final units marched to their new station at RAF Northolt the following day.[67] The station, which had received the Freedom of the Borough of Hillingdon, returned the award to the London Borough of Hillingdon as part of the ceremony,[68] though this was returned on 4 September to be stored in the museum of the Battle of Britain Bunker.[69] A commemorative blue plaque dedicated to Douglas Bader was unveiled by the Mayor of Hillingdon at the entrance to the Officers' Mess.[68]
The Middlesex Wing Headquarters of the Air Training Corps (ATC) had been based at the station together with No. 1083 Squadron ATC, which met on Mondays and Thursdays for parade nights.[46] As part of the closing ceremony, personnel of No. 1083 Squadron were presented with the station badge to adopt as their own.[34] The squadron continued to meet at the station until July 2010, when a newly refurbished building at the TA Centre on Honeycroft Hill became available.[70]
The Grade I listed Battle of Britain Bunker is now preserved as a museum open to the public,[71] while the Grade II listed Hillingdon House will be partially converted into a restaurant.[72] The station cinema is also Grade II listed.[73] The Battle of Britain War Memorial is a scheduled protected monument.[3] Although not listed, several other buildings on the site were identified within the plans for possible retention: the Sick Quarters, the Officers' Mess, the original gymnasium, the carpenters' block in the grounds of Hillingdon House and a building near the Battle of Britain Bunker. St. Andrew's Gate will be retained, as will the Mons barrack block adjacent to the parade ground.[74]
Plans to develop the remaining 44.6 hectares (110 acres) of the site were approved by the London Borough of Hillingdon in January 2011 for 1,340 homes, shops, a theatre and a primary school to be built over ten years.[2] The council intends the development to become an extension of Uxbridge town centre.[75] Early suggestions from the Leader of Hillingdon Council included a theatre with a statue of T.E. Lawrence outside, and a new museum built around the Battle of Britain Bunker.[76] MP for Uxbridge John Randall called in 2009 for Hillingdon Hospital to be relocated to the site as an alternative to a planned rebuilding project on its existing site.[77] The hospital trust ruled out such a move due to the projected costs.[78]
The area around the Battle of Britain Bunker, including the No. 11 Group memorial, will retain the RAF Uxbridge name and be maintained by RAF Northolt as an
The South Hillingdon branch of the
In June 2011, it was announced that the public right of way from St Andrew's Gate in the north-west to Vine Lane in the north-east would be reopened, after work to fence off the pathway was completed. The path, 800 metres (2,600 ft) long, was the subject of a petition submitted to Hillingdon Council in 2010 and had been closed since 1988.[82] The path was reopened in early August 2011.[83]
Since closing, the site has been used extensively for filming. Most recently, scenes for the television drama Endeavour, set in the 1960s, were filmed there.[84]
In April 2012, VSM Estates announced it would be completing the purchase of the site from the
A wood commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II was planted within the site in May 2012. Each school in the London Borough of Hillingdon was invited to plant a tree, and the Station Commander of RAF Northolt, Group Captain Tim O'Brien, also planted one on behalf of the RAF.[89] The wood was officially dedicated by the London Borough of Hillingdon's Representative Deputy Lieutenant, Wing Commander Edna Partridge, on 19 July 2012.[90]
A ground-breaking ceremony was held on 2 July 2013 on the site, attended by the Mayor of Hillingdon and cabinet members of Hillingdon Council. The development is due to be completed within seven years.[91]
A new primary school, built on the site of the former sports ground and gym, opened in September 2014. Named the John Locke Academy, the school will have 630 primary places and 90 nursery places when fully subscribed.[92]
An additional planning application for the construction of office buildings was submitted by St. Modwen in June 2015.[93]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ "Defence Estates Development Plan (DEDP) 2009 – Annex A" (PDF). GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 3 July 2009. p. 49. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ a b Coombs, Dan (25 January 2011). "Grand plans for RAF Uxbridge given green light". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
- ^ a b "Environmental Statement: Site Description" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. January 2009. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b c Crozier 2007, p. 5
- ^ a b "Cox family of Hillingdon". National Archives. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ "Upper Brook Street". British History Online. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ "Centuries of Experience". Cox & Kings. 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ "Listed buildings" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b c Crozier 2007, p. 6
- ^ "Rifle Range" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. May 2010. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ Peacock, Michael (9 November 2010). "11 Group Operations Room" (PDF). The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK). p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ Historic England (2012). "Cinema (1392376)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- ^ a b Sherwood 2007, p. 66
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 7
- ^ "T.E. Lawrence". London Borough of Hillingdon. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b Skinner 2008, p. 25
- ^ "Residential Barrack Block" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. May 2010. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 8
- ^ a b Crozier 2007, p. 9
- ^ "Sir Douglas Bader CBE, DSO, DFC". London Borough of Hillingdon. 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ Jackson 1983, p. 29
- ^ "History of Royal Air Force High Wycombe". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
- ^ "Group Operations Room, Uxbridge". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 10
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 11
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 12
- ^ Bristow 2005, p. 58
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 13
- ^ "RAF Uxbridge". Past Scape. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b c Crozier 2007, p. 15
- ^ Skinner 2008, pp. 66–67
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 28
- ^ a b c d Crozier 2007, p. 29
- ^ a b c d "Farewell to RAF Uxbridge". Global Aviation Resource. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b Skinner 2008, p. 100
- ^ Skinner 2008, p. 70
- ^ a b "Refurbished Spitfire Gate Guardian Unveiled at 11 Group Bunker". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ Crozier 2007, pp. 15–16
- ^ Skinner 2008, p. 121
- ^ Fewkes, Caroline (18 July 2012). "Your letters this week (July 18)". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ^ "RAF Vine Lane". Royal Air Force. 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ Symons, Roland (June 2000). "Royal Air Force heraldry in Middlesex" (PDF). Middlesex Heraldry Society. p. 1. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ "St Andrew's Ceremonial Gates" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. May 2010. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ a b c Crozier 2007, p. 20
- ^ a b Coombs, Dan (31 March 2010). "Spitfire flypast to mark closure of RAF Uxbridge". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d Crozier 2007, p. 32
- ^ Crozier et al. 2010, p. 20
- ^ "Environmental Statement: Key Environmental Issues" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. January 2009. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
In the late 1970s, the Uniter building was constructed. This is a hardened concrete structure designed to withstand a missile attack and formerly contained fixed telecommunications equipment and links. The now-disused building contains two fuel storage tanks (55,000 and 2,000 litres).
- ^ Pearce 2009, p. 88
- ^ Crozier 2007 p. 22
- ^ a b Crozier 2007, p. 23
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 24
- ^ Crozier et al. 2010, p. 21
- ^ a b Crozier et al. 2010, p. 22
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 26
- ^ Mistry, Manisha (28 November 2007). "RAF parade through Uxbridge". Hillingdon & Uxbridge. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ Crozier et al. 2010, p. 23
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 3
- ^ Kirk, Tristan (29 August 2008). "RAF Uxbridge hosts rugby finals". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ "The ROC Museum". The Royal Observer Corps Museum. Archived from the original on 29 August 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ Sharp, Rachel (5 August 2009). "Crowds welcome home 63 The Royal Squadron RAF Regiment". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ Crozier 2007, p. 33
- ^ Crozier et al. 2010, p. 27
- ^ Williams, Rhian (27 January 2010). "Raising standards for the Queen's Colour Squadron". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ISSN 0035-8614.
- ^ Crozier et al. 2010, p. 43
- ^ "Units from RAF Uxbridge will march in to RAF Northolt". Ealing Times. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Closing ceremony for historic RAF Uxbridge". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Battle of Britain commemoration service held at RAF Uxbridge". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. 4 September 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Cadets take command of new building". Air Cadet Headquarters London and South East Region (LaSER). Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ^ "VSM estates takes its first step towards redeveloping RAF Uxbridge". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ Coombs, Dan (25 January 2011). "Historic approval for RAF Uxbridge". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
Hillingdon House will be renovated, with the ground floor to open as a restaurant.
- ^ "RAF Uxbridge Supplementary Planning Document" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. January 2009. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "RAF Uxbridge" (PDF). VSM Estates. 2009. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "RAF Uxbridge: have your say on its future". London Borough of Hillingdon. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ Sharp, Rachel (28 June 2007). "Theatre plan for RAF site". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ Coombs, Dan (17 September 2008). "MP fears NHS will scupper calls for new hospital". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ Coombs, Dan (18 May 2009). "RAF Uxbridge plans go on show". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ "Restored Gate Guardian unveiled". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "RAF commemorates Battle of Britain with services at RAF Uxbridge and Polish War Memorial". This is Local London. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ Coombs, Dan (8 December 2010). "New base for St John ambulance after our appeal". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
- ^ Coombs, Dan (1 June 2011). "Path to be re-opened through RAF Uxbridge". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
- ^ Coombs, Dan (4 August 2011). "'Vital' footpath reopens after 23 years". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- ^ Barnett, Laura (1 January 2012). "Endeavour: an inspector recalled". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
- ^ "New homes on RAF site to be 'speeded up'". Uxbridge Gazette. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ^ "Building to start on RAF Uxbridge redevelopment this year". The Construction Index. 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ^ Gavaghan, Carl (29 August 2012). "Demolition of RAF site to begin in October". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ^ "Persimmon Homes plans for former RAF base take off". Connect PR. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ^ "Hillingdon Council celebrates Queen's Jubilee with commemorative wood". London Borough of Hillingdon. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ "Diamond Jubilee Commemorated" (PDF). Hillingdon People. London Borough of Hillingdon. September 2012. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ^ "Former RAF Uxbridge regeneration project kicks off". Uxbridge Gazette. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "New Uxbridge school reflects sporting heritage of RAF site". Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ^ Cumber, Rob (3 June 2015). "New offices at former RAF base 'to create 1,000 jobs'". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
Bibliography
- Bristow, Mark. (2005) A History of Royal Air Force Northolt. RAF Northolt: No. 1 AIDU (Aeronautical Information Documents Unit)
- Crozier, Hazel. (2007) RAF Uxbridge 90th Anniversary 1917–2007. RAF High Wycombe: Air Command Media Services
- Crozier, Hazel; Wren, Chris; Askew, Sam. (2010) RAF Uxbridge – A Fond Farewell. RAF High Wycombe: Air Command Media Services
- Jackson, Robert. (1983) Douglas Bader: a biography. London: Littlehampton Book Services ISBN 978-0-213-16857-5
- Pearce, K. R. (2009) Uxbridge From Old Photographs. Stroud: Amberley Publishing ISBN 978-1-84868-390-7
- Sherwood, Philip. (2007) Around Uxbridge Past & Present. Stroud: Sutton Publishing ISBN 978-0-7509-4794-7
- Skinner, James. (2008) Growing Up in Wartime Uxbridge. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 978-0-7524-4543-4
Further reading
- A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4, 1971, pp. 55–69
- British History Online Archived 7 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- R.H.Cox records
External links
- English Heritage record for RAF Uxbridge
- English Heritage record for the No. 11 Group Operations Room, RAF Uxbridge
- Account of a visit to the restored ops room, with photographs
- London Borough of Hillingdon – RAF Uxbridge Planning Project
- Royal Air Force Association Battle of Britain Club
- 1083 Squadron Air Training Corps
- St Andrew's Park Uxbridge redevelopment
- Videos